Railway-switch.



I I lb I I PATENTED NOV, 28, 1905.

[mill L. L. BIGELOW. RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1904.

W DJ W MJLM LEWIS L. BIGELOW, OF SULTAN, WASHINGTON.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905.

Application filed November 9, 1904. Serial No. 232,038.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEWIS L. BIGELOW, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the town of Sultan, in the county of Snohomish and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in railway-switches of the type in which the switch-point is operated by means mounted on the car, and comprises the parts and combination of parts which will be hereinafter set forth in the claims.

The object of my invention is to produce mechanism of this kind which will be simple in construction, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, and efficient in operation.

Further objects and advantages will be set forth in the following description, and those features upon which I desire protection defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 represents in plan a switch equipped with my invention, the relative position of the operating-wheels to the mechanism arranged on the road-bed being also shown. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a truck equipped with the operating-wheels. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 4: is a sectional view taken on line A B of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have therein shown the track parts of my invention in plan, 1 and 2 representing, respectively, the two trackrails. I prefer that one of these, as the rail 1, be provided with a recess, as is shown at 3, for the reception of the end of the movable switch-point 7 This is-not, however, deemed an essential feature. The movable switchpoint 7 is shown as being pivoted at 8, although it may be of another type-as, for instance, the point being formed of spring metal, so as to swing and bend within itself. I have also shown a guard-rail 4 lying with the track-rail l and the switch-point? Placed centrally between the track-rails is a pivoted bar 11, which is connected with the switchpoint 7, as bya rod 10, which projects through a slot in rail 4:, so that when one moves the other will be compelled to move also. The

actuated thereby to throw the switch. It will be seen that the bar 11 is of a wedge shape or tapered and is pivoted at the small end 12, while the rod 10 is pivoted to the large end.

I have shown a rail 13 as secured centrally between the track-rails 1 and 2 and the pivoted bar 11 as being pivoted thereto by a pin 12. It is evident that under the proper conditions the rail 13, which is a guard-rail, might be dispensed with.

The two flanged wheels 15 and 16 are conveniently mounted on the car for movement to and from the guard-rail 13 and are capable of movement independent of one another, so that when one wheel is lowered and its flange engages the bar 11 on one side. said bar will be shifted in one direction and when the other wheel is lowered its flange will engage said bar on its opposite side and therefore shift said bar in the reverse direction. These wheels 15 and 16 are each carried upon the lower ends of rods 17 and arranged one in advance of the other, said rods being mounted to have vertical movement in suitable guides carried by the car. These rods 17 and the wheels carried thereby are normally held in elevated position by suitable means, as the springs 19, the same, as shown, consisting of helical springs surrounding the rods 17, and at their upper ends I these rods are provided with heads 18, which afford a broad bearing-surface for the foot of the operator.

The rods 17 and their guides should be so constructed as to prevent the rods from turning around, thereby keeping the wheels in proper relation with the pivoted bar 11 and in position to operate it. This result may be conveniently obtained by making the rods noncircular, as square, and providing the guides with similarly-shaped holes.

When the car approaches a switch, the proper wheel 15 or 16 is depressed into engagement with the guard-rail 13 by pressure of the foot upon the head 18 of its rod, and the wheel thus being guided when it reaches the pivoted bar 11 its flange will properly engage the side of said pivoted bar and force it laterally, thereby throwing the switch. The direction of movement of the switch will depend upon which of the wheels is depressed. It is therefore in the power of a person on the car to easily throw the switch from either of its set positions.

It is evident that the construction shown and herein described may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention. I do not, therefore, wish to be considered as limiting myself to the exact construction shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is-

1. In switch-point-throwing mechanism, in combination with a switch-point, a pivoted wedge shaped bar between and extending lengthwise of the track-rails, a connection between said pivoted bar and the switch-point, wheels carried by the car and being movable vertically independently of one another, and means whereby said wheels may be independ- LEWIS L. BIGELOVV.

Witnesses:

ERNEST B. HERALD, WALTER G. McKAY. 

